The Journal of the Siam Society Vol. LXIV, Part 1-2, 1976 - Khamkoo

218 Amara Pongsapich
Ethnicity is also an important characteristic of the young labor
force in this study. Certain occupations in the skilledjsemi-skilled
category are still predominantly either Thai or Chinese within the FaFa's
generation, the Fa's generation, and the informants' generation. This is
indicated in table 4 where informants in skilled/semi-skilled occupational
category identified themselves and their ancestors as Chinese at a higher
percentage than informants in other occupational categories.
Table 4: Intergenerational changes in ethnicity* of informants in different
occupational groups
Occupation of Fa Fa Fa Ego
informants Thai Chi. Thai Chi. Thai Chi.
Total
unskilled 399 144 478 100 544 46 596
66.9% 24.2% 80.2% 16.8% 91.3% 7.7%
skilled/semi-skilled 208 260 239 237 328 147 478
43.5% 54.4% 50.0% 49.6% 68.6% 30.8%
white-collar 140 98 180 62 228 13 243
(prestigious) 57.6% 40.3% 74.1% 25.5% 93.8% 5.3%
student 47 51 74 31 95 10 105
44.8% 48.6% 70.5% 29.5% 90.8% 9.5%
Total 794 553 971 430 1195 216 1422
55.8% 38.9% 68.3% 30.2% 84.0% 15.2%
In the social structure of Chonburi, the young labor force may be
identified in the dotted area of diagram II. Non-manual workers are
regarded by the general public as having more prestige than manual
workers. The Thai government during the Phibun regime (1950's)
* See pa~e 219 for explanation of ~his usa~e.